Montreal's Champlain Bridge is finally open after four years of construction. Isaac Olson, a reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation joins Vermont Edition to give an update on the new bridge, what’s left to finish and what will happen to the old bridge.
As of Monday morning at 5 a.m., traffic started to flow into the city on the northbound lane. The sleek, new bridge was built to replace the former Champlain Bridge, which has fallen into disrepair after 57 years.
The new bridge will connect the city’s new light-rail system, called REM, as well a shared pedestrian and cyclist path. As of now, only the northbound lane is open. The southbound lane is expected to open on this coming Monday on Canada Day.
But the construction was not without difficulties — with months of delays and a price far over budget, the city still has problems to resolve.
Olson discusses the progress on the bridge and final legal negotiations.
Live broadcast on Wednesday, June 26, 2019; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.
